Msi gtx 1660 super gaming x review in Spanish (full analysis)

We are still missing the GPU analysis of one of the three main manufacturers, so today we have the review of the MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X, the model with the TWIN FROZR heatsink could not be missing from our Christmas wish list. The new GPU launched by Nvidia to compete with the Radeon 590 and very soon with the RX 5600 is leaving us with excellent results.

This makes it position itself as one of the most demanded by the mid-range, since it combines an excellent price and performance that practically equals the 1660 Ti. What will the model that MSI proposes give us in addition to the spectacular aesthetics? We will see it immediately, so let's get started!

But before continuing, we thank MSI for their trust in us as a good partner, for also giving us their GPU for our analysis.

MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X technical characteristics

Unboxing

The MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X has come to us in a presentation of the most common, although in this case we do not have a double box as such. MSI has chosen a rigid cardboard box as the outer wrapper with the typical prints showing a photo of the GPU and quite features of its cooling system on the back.

Inside, we have another box from the same cardboard, but without a lid, which is responsible for storing the GPU inside a polyethylene foam mold. This in turn is inside the corresponding antistatic bag in a horizontal position.

The bundle consists of the following elements:

• Graphics card MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X Instructions Thank you card

All ports and connections are perfectly covered with the corresponding plastic protectors so that nothing enters inside them.

Exterior design

As usual, the first manufacturers to show their cards with this new GPU have been MSI, Asus and Gigabyte, each with their own creations, but always with the same main hardware consisting of 6 GB GDDR6 and the TU116 chipset. The interesting thing will be to see its price and design, its performance and cooling, and especially its overclocking capacity.

And precisely what we are going to do is analyze its design, one that is already well known to followers of the brand and to all those who have seen one of our many reviews. The manufacturer has chosen the emblematic TWIN FROZR 7 heatsink for its MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X, consisting of two fans and giving us measures 247 mm long, 127 mm wide and 46 mm thick, occupying little more than 2 slots. The entire outer shell is constructed of good quality hard plastic with very aggressive gray finishes.

It could not miss the RGB LED lighting with Mystic Light technology. And it is that until recently only the high-end had this type of detail, but this 7th generation heatsink has RGB in the entire upper area of the fans through 4 customizable LED strips through Dragon Center. In addition, the side part also has lighting in the logo, so, whether we place it horizontally or vertically, aesthetics are assured.

Focusing more on cooling, which is what is really important, we have a dual fan TORX FAN 3.0 configuration. These 90mm diameter fans are constructed and optimized with 14 helix helical designs to deliver high air pressure on the heatsink with as little noise as possible. They will be able to spin at around 3250 RPM at full throttle, but they will rarely be above 1500 due to the incredible performance of their finned block.

How could it be otherwise, the MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X also has 0 dB Zero Frozr technology. Basically it is a system in which the fans will be kept stopped while the GPU temperature does not exceed 60 ^o C. At this threshold, they will start to work to improve the performance of the heatsink in games. The only drawback that we will have in the chosen configuration in this GPU, is that the two fans cannot be managed independently, but both are connected to the same power source.

The side areas do not have much to comment except what has already been said about the MSI logo lighting. As always, it is a casing that leaves enough room to blow hot air out of the heatsink, showing off much of the internal heatsink system. The front area is a little more covered this time, since the upper backplate has a bezel to cover part of the exposed area.

We continue with the opposite side of the graphics card, in which we find a great aluminum backplate about 2 mm thick with a brushed metal finish. It is exactly the same and of the same quality that cards like the brand's RTX 2060 or 2070 Gaming X use. This is something that Asus and Gigabyte have not done, since their models have a plastic blackplate, and consequently, less cooling capacity and worse aesthetics.

Ports and connections

We go to see the connectivity section of the MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X, to comment especially on the distribution of rear video stations, but also the power and other aspects. In this model we will find the following ports:

• 1x HDMI 2.0b3x DisplayPort 1.4

Configuration already standardized in many of the current GPYs from both Nvidia and AMD. Without a doubt the best option to connect high resolution monitors. Remember that the DisplayPort port will give us a maximum resolution of 8K at 60 FPS, while in 4K we will reach 165 Hz and in 5K we will be able to reach 120 Hz. In the case of HDMI, it supports a 4K @ 60 Hz resolution, so as always, the best option will be the DisplayPort

In the case of a GPU with a TDP of about 125W and a consumption like the one that we will see later of 130W (not to confuse TDP with consumption), we have a single 8-pin connector for power. This is more than enough to ensure power both in gaming mode and in manual overclocking, where consumption could rise to approximately 150-160W. The interface over which the data travels is PCIe 3.0 x16.

Inside the PCB we can see a total of three connectors for the heatsink. The 4-pin target corresponds to the power and PWM connection of the fans, of which we only have one. The two smaller 4-pin connectors are for side and top lighting, which can be managed independently.

MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X: PCB and internal hardware

We will almost fully open the MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X to see the work that MSI has done on its custom model. This time we must know that it is very easy to disassemble the heatsink, just by removing the 4 screws that hold the block to the socket and disconnecting the corresponding cables we will have the GPU completely open and accessible. Of course we will lose the guarantee on the way.

Integral Block Heatsink

Both the chipset and the dissipation block are perfectly bonded with MSI's own thermal compound X. It is a manufacturer that always tends to pour a large amount of it to improve the union and this is no exception. In addition, it is noted that this GPU has not had a single minute of use since the compound is almost as freshly cast, without solidified parts or missing.

Regarding the heatsink, MSI has used a single block of great extension with the corresponding large cold plate and where a total of three nickel-plated copper heatpipes are welded , which will be in charge of distributing the heat to the entire surface provided with aluminum fins in longitudinal configuration. The effectiveness will be very high, since on the one hand 3 of these heat pipes come out and on the other two, with a diameter of about 6 mm each.

The PCB has a second metal plate that is responsible for cooling the VRM and the 6 GDDR6 memory chips using silicone thermal pads. On this occasion we have chosen not to disassemble this plate, since it does not have an extremely important view.

TU116 chipset architecture on the MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X

As we have seen in other customized models of the 1660 Super, in the MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X a powerful VRM of 4 + 2 phases of power has been placed for GPU and SoC respectively. This ensures us an overclocking capacity at the level of its rivals, so we will see during tests how it responds.

This graphics card contains the TU116 chipset, with a 12 nm FinFET manufacturing process that consists of 3 clusters for graphic processing, 11 clusters for texture processing and 22 stream multiprocessors. This translates to 1408 CUDA cores and of course without Tensor or RT cores as you can imagine. The base frequency of this GPU is 1530 MHz, and MSI has increased the turbo mode by 45 MHz, thus reaching 1830 MHz. This makes it the same frequency as the MSI version and 30 MHz less than the version of Gigabyte. The chip specification is exactly the same as the 1660, so we have 1536 KB of dual-block L2 cache for the GPU. In this way, 88 TMUs (texture units) and 48 ROPs (raster units) are obtained.

The MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X has 6 GB of GDDR6 type, which is the main novelty compared to the normal 1660. These memories maintain a 192-bit bus configuration, using 6 chips each working at 32 bits and 7000 MHz of bus frequency and 14000 MHz of effective frequency (being DDR). With all this, the increase in bus speed is 75% compared to GDDR5 memory, going from 192 GB / s to no less than 336 GB / s, which translates into results almost on par with the 1660 Ti as immediately we will see.

Test bench and performance test

Now we are going to carry out the corresponding performance tests, both benchmarks and tests in games, on this MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X. Our test bench consists of the following components:

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	Intel Core i9-9900K
Base plate:	Asus Maximus XI Formula
Memory:	16 GB G-Skill Trident Z NEO 3600 MHz
Heatsink	Corsair H100i Platinum SE
HDD	ADATA SU750
Graphic card	Asus GTX 1660 Super OC
Power supply	Cooler Master V850 Gold

All the synthetic tests and tests have been carried out with the filters as they come in the configuration of each program. The tests consist of tests that run in the three main resolutions, Full HD, 2K and 4K. We have run all of them on the Windows 10 Pro operating system in its 1903 version fully updated and with the Nvidia 441.07 drivers, being the latest version available. As is logical, in this case it has not been possible to perform the Ray Tracing Port Royal test, as it is not a compatible GPU.

What are we looking for in these tests?

First, the best possible image quality. The most important value for us is the average FPS (Frames per second), the higher the number of FPS the more fluid the game will go. Benchmark scores will help us compare this GPU to the competition. To slightly differentiate the quality, we leave you a table to assess the quality in FPS based on the quantity we get in each game and resolution.

FRAMES PER SECOND
Frames Per Second (FPS)	Gameplay
Less than 30 FPS	Limited
30 ~ 40 FPS	Playable
40 ~ 60 FPS	Good
Greater than 60 FPS	Really good
Greater than 144 Hz	E-sports level

Benchmarks

For benchmark tests we will use the following titles:

• 3DMark Fire Strike normal3DMark Fire Strike UltraTime SpyVRMARK Orange Room

Fortunately we do not have any surprises, and this graphics card is placed exactly on par with other custom models such as the Asus that we have kept for comparison. Both cards alternate results, and the same would happen with the Gigabyte card.

Game testing

We are going to proceed to evaluate the real performance in games, thus having a more palpable test of what our MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X will be able to deliver under DirectX 12, OpenGL in this case.

The tests will be carried out at the three most used resolutions in gaming, we refer to Full HD (1920 x 1080p), QHD or 2K (2560 x 1440p) and UHD or 4K (3840 x 2160p). In this way, we will have a complete range of results to be able to compare them with other GPUs. For each of the games, we have kept the automatic settings selected in each and for each resolution.

• Final Fantasy XV, standard, TAA, DirectX 11 DOOM, Ultra, TAA, Open GL Deus EX Mankind Divided, Alto, Anisotropico x4, DirectX 11 Far Cry 5, Alto, TAA, DirectX 12 Metro Exodus, Alto, Anisotropico x16, DirectX 12 (without RT) Shadow of the Tomb Rider, Alto, TAA + Anisotropic x4, DirectX 12 Control, Alto, without RTX, rendered at 1920x1080p, DirectX 12 Gears 5, Alto, TAA, DirectX 12

Exactly the same as before in tests with games, where models vary by no more than 1 FPS in some cases. In this sense, the purchase will be successful in any case, although the card proposed by MSI has a better aesthetic.

Overclocking

We have overclocked this MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X to its maximum, always ensuring stability. In this case we have used the EVGA Precision X1 software, which works great with Nvidia's GPUs. In this way we have carried out a new test in 3DMark Fire Strike and new tests for Shadow Of The Tomb Raider.

Here, indeed, MSI shows that its VRM is solvent and that the silicon it has touched us looks very good. We have achieved a stable overclocking by raising the GDDR6 memories to no less than 750 MHz and the chipset 150 MHz, thus reaching up to 1980 MHz at maximum performance. In addition, we have increased the speed of the fans almost on a whim, since the GPU has never reached 70 ^o C with this overclock.

Here we leave you the new results obtained in the tests carried out compared to the standard configuration.

Shadow of the Tomb Rider	Stock	@ Overclock
1920 x 1080 (Full HD)	93 FPS	98 FPS
2560 x 1440 (WQHD)	63 FPS	66 FPS
3840 x 2160 (4K)	34 FPS	36 FPS
3DMark Fire Strike	Stock	@ Overclock
Graphics Score	16721	17495
Physics Score	23456	23472
Combined	15405	16169

We observe some notable improvements of 5 FPS in 1080p, 3 in 2K and 2 in 4K, which place it in a value close to an RTX 2060. Likewise, the increase in performance in Fire Strike is quite forceful, which invites us to think that in games with lower qualities and more FPS the increase will be even greater.

Temperatures and consumption

Finally, we have proceeded to stress the MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X for a few hours while monitoring its temperatures and consumption. For this, we have used as FurMark for stress and HWiNFO to capture results, along with a wattmeter that measures the power of all the complete equipment, except the monitor. The ambient temperature is 24 ° C.

It is no surprise to see a GPU with this chipset less powerful than RTX and a heatsink almost the same as temperatures are very good. We must consider that the stock temperature is relatively high because the ventilation system is completely stopped. On the other hand , if at maximum performance we increase the fans to the maximum, we will obtain temperatures of 45 ^o C, which shows the great margin that the cooling of this GPU has.

Regarding consumption, yes we have seen a slight increase compared to other 1660 Super models, standing above 200W, although not exceeding in any case the 1660 Ti. These are figures with the whole complete set, since independently, the idle GPU only spends 6.4 W and fully operational 130W.

Final words and conclusion about MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X

Surely we will all agree that the main advantage we will have with this MSI Gaming X is the design. A much more forceful aesthetic than the other models, with an impressive manageable RGB section, aggressive casing and a high-end aluminum backplate.

Regarding performance, we found no surprises, since the values ​​are practically traced to other models and it is normal. It is fully confirmed that the performance of this 1660 Super is practically the same as that of the 1660 Ti, so it is one of the best, if not the best option we have in the mid-range right now.

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Once again, we highlight its excellent overclocking capacity, which is even higher than the two GPUs that we have been able to access in previous days. We know about the "silicon lottery", but the truth is that the VRM of this card is very good and we have obtained stability with practically no effort.

We finish as usual looking at the price and availability of the MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X, which is available for a price of approximately 274.95 euros. It is slightly more expensive than its rivals, although we see enough reasons for that small extra cost such as its best design. Again, it is highly recommended.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ SPECTACULAR DESIGN WITH RGB	- SLIGHTLY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN ITS RIVALS
+ LARGE TWIN FROZR HEATSINK
+ PERFORMANCE ABOUT THE 1660 TI
+ EXCELLENT OVERCLOCKING AND STABILITY
+ QUALITY / PRICE IN AVERAGE RANGE

The Professional Review team awards you the gold medal and recommended product:

COMPONENT QUALITY - 86%

DISSIPATION - 92%

GAMING EXPERIENCE - 83%

SOUNDNESS - 90%

PRICE - 87%

88%